ILOILO CITY – The Regional Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center (RJPSCC)-6 on Friday, June 16, declared this city, the regional capital of Western Visayas, free from communist insurgency.
ILOILO City Hall at night. (Tara Yap)
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Trenas cited the declaration.
“I am pleased of this declaration by various law enforcement agencies, as this is a manifestation of all our hard work in creating a safe and livable city. We will continue with our initiatives to maintain our insurgency free and generally peaceful status,” said Treñas.
The RJPSCC-6 consisted of the Philippine Army 3rd Infantry Division (ID), represented by the 301st Infantry Brigade (IB), the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)-6.
The RJPSCC-6 said no more violent incidents perpetrated by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed group the New People’s Army (NPA) were recorded since 2018.
Maria Concepcion “Concha” Araneta-Bocala, deputy secretary of the CPP-NPA in Panay Island, was arrested in a safehouse in Molo District in Iloilo City in 2015.
The Treñas administration said the insurgency-free declaration is a boost to maintaining peace and order as this city continues with its economic development.